AWRI adds beet extract fungicide to Australia’s vineyard agrochemical guide

The Australian Wine Research Institute said Tuesday that it has updated the online 2026/27 edition of “Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture,” a reference widely known in the industry as the “Dog book,” to include a newly registered biological fungicide for use in grapes.

The update follows the recent registration by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority of a new active constituent, beet extract at 900g/L. According to AWRI, the addition has been made to the online version of the guide used by grape growers, winemakers and advisers across Australia to check which agrochemical products are registered for use in vineyards and under what conditions.

The newly listed product is APVMA product number 94052, sold as Actavan Bio Plant Defence Elicitor fungicide. AWRI said the product is an Adama Australia soluble liquid concentrate registered for the suppression of Botrytis cinerea in wine grapes and table grapes. Botrytis cinerea is a common vineyard disease pressure and can be especially important during periods that favor infection around bunch development and ripening.

AWRI described the product as a plant defense elicitor rather than a conventional curative fungicide. In its guidance note, the institute said Actavan Bio works by stimulating the grapevine’s natural defense responses and helping reduce the plant’s susceptibility to Botrytis infection. The product has been classified in Activity Group P11.

The institute said the product must be used as a protectant spray only and applied before disease is present. It said the fungicide has no curative activity, meaning it is not intended to treat an existing infection after symptoms or disease establishment. AWRI also said the product should be used as part of a broader Botrytis management program rather than as a stand-alone measure.

Under the use directions highlighted in the update, applications should begin at the early berry development stage, from E-L 27, which AWRI described as the stage when young berries are enlarging beyond 2mm in diameter and the bunch is at right angles to the stem. The institute said the product should be applied with a non-ionic adjuvant at 0.01% v/v.

AWRI said users should not exceed a total use rate of 4L/ha per application. The product can be applied multiple times during the season, with repeat sprays at 14 to 21-day intervals. The timing limit depends on the intended market for the grapes. For grapes destined for export wine, AWRI listed a recommended export harvest interval, also described as a withholding period, of no later than 30 days before harvest. For grapes destined for domestic wine, it said applications can continue up to the label withholding period of 14 days before harvest.

The institute’s notice did not announce any broader change to the full set of recommendations in the 2026/27 guide, but it said a running list of changes to the current booklet is available on the AWRI website. That list is intended to track additions and revisions made after publication as new registrations are approved or guidance is updated.

The “Dog book” is a standard industry reference in Australian viticulture, and updates to it can affect how vineyard managers plan disease programs, especially when new products are introduced during a growing season or near key disease risk periods. The inclusion of a beet extract-based fungicide adds a biological option to the list of products available for Botrytis suppression in wine and table grapes, with AWRI emphasizing that the material is preventive and must be timed before infection pressure takes hold.

AWRI said growers looking for more information on registered agrochemicals and related guidance can consult the dedicated agrochemicals resources on its website, where the updated 2026/27 online guide and the list of amendments are available.